Man killed in Elmhurst in a possible gang-related shooting: report

A 22-year-old man was fatally shot on an Elmhurst street on Saturday after he was asked if he was a member of Always Banging Kings (ABK), the Daily News reported.

According to police, officers responded to a 911 call at 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 18 at the intersection of Elmhurst Avenue and Elbertson Street. They found the victim with a gunshot wound to his torso. He was transported to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Though police would not confirm his identity, the Daily News reported that the victim was 22-year-old Steve Perez. Perez was hanging out on the corner when two men approached him and asked, “Are you ABK?”

ABK is a Jackson Heights gang whose territory borders 77th Street between Northern Boulevard and 34th Avenue. In March, 20 members of ABK were arrested for dealing drugs and assaulting a customer at a fast food restaurant. Some members were also arrested for plotting to kill members of their rival gang, the Latin Kings.

“He was a really good kid. This should’ve never happened to him,” Perez’s cousin told the Daily News. “He was really family oriented.”